Carriage decelerating means for business machines



Nov. 30 1943. R. L. MULLER 2,335,433

CARRIAGE DECELERATING MEANS FOR BUSINESS MACHINES Filed Dec. 30, 1941 10 Sheets-Sheet 1- Fjg 1 Q 75 a I a fi INVENTOR.

Nov. 30 1943. R. L. MULLER 2,335,438

CARRIAGE DECELERA'IING MEANS FOR BUSINESS MACHINES Filed Dec. 50, 1941 l0 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Nov. 30 1943. r R. L. MULLER CARRIAGE DECELERATING MEANS FOR BUSINESS MACHINES Filed Dec. 30, 1941 10 Sheets-Sheet 5 Nov. 30 1943. R. 1.. MULLER CARRIAGE DECELERATING MEANS FOR BUSINESS MACHINES Filed Dec. 30, 1941 WM W m wflmm 5 m .2. a 1 0.

P OM

Nov. 30 1943. L R. L. MULLER CARRIAGE DECELERA'IING MEANS FOR BUSINESS MACHINES l0 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 30, 1941 Nov. 30 1943. R. L. MULLER 2,335,438

CARRIAGE DECELERATING' MEANS FOR BUSINESS MACHINES 1o Sheets-Sheet e f Filed Dec. 30, 1941 INVE OR. Ewe/ i Ali 721161 wwu Li L ,M Kfllmii ATTORNEYS Nov. 30 1943. R. MULLER CARRIAGE DECELERATING MEANS FOR BUSINESS MACHINES Filed Dec. 3Q, 1941 10 Sheets-Sheet '7 lNI ENTOR. fimferib. i'fa/ler ATTORNEYS Nov. 30 1943.

R. L. MULLER CARRIAGE DECELERATING MEANS FOR BUSINESS MACHINES Filed Dec. 30; 1941 10 Sheets-Sheet 8 IIIIIIIIIIIIA YINVENIOR. Y Ewe/'7 film/161' M M ATTORNEYS Nov. 30 1943. R. L. MULLER 1 CARRIAGE DECELERATING MEANS FOR BUSINESS MACHINES 1o Sheefs-Sheet e Filed Dec. 30, 1941 INVENTOR. BY Rolfe/'2 AJTa/l e1 W, M Yum ATTORNEYS R. 1.. MULLER 2,335,438

CARRIAGE DEGELERATING MEANS FOR BUSINESS MACHINES Filed Dec. 30, 1941 l0 Sheets-Sheet 10 U ab U L E-Gi Y Y N NVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Patented Nev. so, 1943 CARRIAGE nncannm'rmo MEANS FOR BUSINESS MACHINES Robert L. Muller, Detroit, Mich assignor to Burroughs Adding Machine Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application December 30, 1941, Serial No.- 424,970

12 Claims. (Cl. 197---177) This invention relates to improvements in business machines having traveling carriages mounted for movement relative to a stationary support= ing portion of the machine, and has to do more particularly with means for cushioning the carriage as it is arrested in its different positions on the stationary support portion of the machine,

that is, means for decelerating the carriage rapidly but smoothly instead of abruptly as it nears the position where it is to bebrought to rest.

One machine of the class to which the invention is applicable is the well-known Burroughs high keyboard calculating machine, which has a traveling paper carriage in which work sheets, such as statement forms, ledger forms and the like are inserted, and which is tabulated from columnar position to columnar position transversely of the stationary machine frame to permit the printing mechanism of the machine to record the items entered into the machine and totals and subtotals drawn from the machine in various columns of the work sheets. Though the traveling carriage of such a machine is of considerable weight, it is desirable to effect the movements of the carriage from columnar position to columnar position with suflicient rapidity that no unnecessary delay between successive cycles of operation of the machine will be caused by any avoidable delay in the arrival of the paper carriage in the proper columnar positions. Therefore, a considerable force is required for effecting such movements of the carriage, and the carriage is accelerated throughout substantially the whole of each tabulating movement from columnar position to columnar position, even when the distance from onecolumnar position to the next is large.

The distance between successive columnar positions of the carriage for any particular work ,form or set of forms usually varies considerably from column to column and many kinds of work require so-called skip-tabulating movements of the carriage directly from one columnar position to a subsequent columnar position through one or more intervening columnar position without arrest of the carriage in such intervening columnar positions. Therefore, thefinal velocity and momentum of the carriage as it arrives at its diiferent columnar positions varies greatly from one columnar position to another, and also the final velocity and momentum of the carriage as it arrives in a given columnar position will be very much greater when the carriage skip-tabulates into said columnar position from a. nonadjacent preceding columnar position than when the carriage arrives in said given columnar position by a regular tabulation from thefadjacent preceding columnar position.

. Stopping the carriage abruptly in its difierent columnar positions without preliminarily decelerating it or cushioning its arrest in any way would result in considerable noise and in considerable shock to the carriage, and parts carried thereon and to other parts of the machine. Prior machines of this type have, therefore, been provided with a cushioning device interposed between the abutment which is engaged by the columnar tabulating stops on the carriage to arrest the carriage in its several columnar positions and the stationary portion of the machine on which said abutment is mounted in order to reduce noise and shock produced in the arrest of the carriage in its several columnar positions. Such cushioning devices heretofore have been so constructed and arranged as to provide substantially constant cushioning eiiect each time the carriage is arrested, regardless of the momentum of the carriage and the length of the successive carriage movements, and the cushioning effect has been sufiicient to cushion the arrest of-the carriage to the desired degree when it approached a columnar position with only a minimum of momentum as in a short tabulating movement but has been inadequate to prevent noise and shock to the carriage and other parts of the machine when the carriage is arrested in a columnar position toward which it moved with great momentum as in a long tabulating or skip-tabulating movement. The cushioning effect had to be kept small enough to prevent undue delay in the final arrival of the carriage in the proper columnar position at the end of a short tabulating movement before initiating a succeeding machine cycle.

Also, when a cushioning device of the air cushion dashpot type is adjusted for properly cushioning the carriage at the end of a'short the carriage in its tabulating movementsaby means of a speed governing device in or'der to prevent the velocity of the carriageifrom exceeding a predetermined value so as to permit'ot the cushioning device being adjusted to cushion the carriage.

arrest of the carriage adequately after both long and short tabulating movements, but that is disadvantageous because it slows up the movement of the carriage and considerably reduces the work output of the machine for any given period of time.

It has also been proposed to automatically variably control the vent or vents of an air cushion dashpot in. such manner as to provide a greater cushioning efiect upon arrest of the carriage at the end of a long movement in which it gains a larger momentum than at, the end of a short movement in which it acquires but little momentum. That, however, is not satisfactory because it has not been found possible to obtain consistently uniform results in the operation of air cushion dashpots with variably controlled vents.

It is an object of the invention to provide a machine of the stated character-with a means which will adequately decelerate the traveling carriage as the latter approaches the position where it is to be arrested at the end of each movement thereof so that the arrest of the carriage in the required position will be effected always quietly and without shock to any of the machine parts regardless of whether the carriag nears such position with high momentum or with little momentum.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a machine with a carriage decelerating device which will produce the above-proposed result without requiring the'use 'of a governor or other speed limiting means which would lengthen the time required by the carriage movements and thus appreciably decrease the work output of the machine.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a machine of the class specified with a carriage decelerating means which will effectively cushion the arrest of the carriage regardless of variation of the momentum of the carriage throughout a very wide range so as to permit of more rapid acceleration and higher speeds of travel of the carriage, especially in long carriage movements, than have heretofore been practical, so that the work output of the machine may, therefore, be increased without causing objectionable noise and undesirable shock to the machine parts.

Machines of the class for which the invention is primarily intended are generally provided with power-driven means for returning the carriage across the machine each time it has completed a required program columnar tabulation. It is .desirable to drive the carriage through its return movement as rapidly as possible, but it is also desirable to avoid shock to the carriage and parts carried thereby as well as to the carriage return mechanism. A further object of the invention is to provide such a construction and arrangement of the carriage decelerating means as will permit rapid carriage return movement to be initiated without unnecessary noise or shock.

In machines of the above-stated character, the platen supported in the carriage is usually rotated, for line spacing the work sheets, by means actuated by the carriage return means incidentally to the operation of the latter to return the It is a further object of the invention to so arrange the carriage decelerating means as to prevent undesirable shock to the line spacing means or unintended excessive rotation of the platen and spacing of the work sheets as power is applied to the carriage return means.

Further objects and advantages of the invenmechanism enclosed in the housing 3| (Fig. 15),

'of said carriage;

Fig. 3 is a detail view of certain parts shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of they operation of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3;

Fig. 5 is a right-side elevation of the paper carriage and certain portions of the machine more particularly related to a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of portions of the mechanism for controlling the carriage movements in the machine of Fig. 5, and showing portions of the modified embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of the control mechanism of Fig. 6 showing additional parts of the modified embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 8 is a detail view of a portion of Fig. '7;

Figs. 9, 10 and 11 are perspective views of portions of the modified form of the present invention;

Fig. 12 is a plan view of portions of the paper carriage of Fig. 5 showing portions of the modified form of'the present invention associated therewith;

Fig. 13 is a detail view of a portion of Fig. 5;

Fig. 14 is a detail view of a portion of the carriage decelerating means;

Fig. 15 is a left-side elevatlon'of a portion of the machine showing more particularly thepower-actuated means for operating the mechanism controlling the movements of the carriage and the operation of the carriage decelerating means;

Fig. 16 is a rear elevation of portions of the means for readily changing programs of carriage movement; and

Fig. 1'7 schematically illustrates the operation of the modified form of the invention of Figs. 5 to 16.

The invention is illustrated as applied to Burroughs high keyboard calculating machines, but may also be applied to various other machines with traveling carriages. The general construction and operation of the Burroughs "high keyboard machines are disclosed in many prior patents and well known and will not be described in detail hereinafter except with reference to those portions of the machine which directly cooperate with the new' means provided by the present invention.

General construction of machines The machines illustrated in connection with the two embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are of the same general construction ex: cept as hereinafter more particularly described. Each may be manually driven but is preferably driven by an electric drive mechanism which may be generally like that disclosed in Bindschedler Patent No. 1,658,036 and comprises an electric motor 30 (Fig. 5) and a single revolution clutch the motor circuit and clutch being controlled by one or more motor bars or keys (not shown),

some of which may also serve to condition mechanisms of the machine for predetermined functions. In each cycle of operation of the machine the crank 35 driven through the clutch 3| receives a single complete revolution and, through the link 36, rocks the arm 31 first counterclockwise (in Fig. 15) about the shaft 38 and then clock- Wise back to its normal position of Fig. 15. The arm 31 carries an abutment 39 which cooperates with an abutment 40 on an arm 4| fixed on the shaft 38 to positively drive the latter arm and shaft counterclockwise (in Fig. 15) in the forward stroke of the machine cycle after which the arm 4| and. shaft 38 are returned clockwise by springs (not shown) and under regulation by the usual dashpot (not shown) during the return stroke of the machine cycle as permitted by the return of the arm 37 to its normal position.

The machine has a printing mechanism which may be generally like that disclosed in United States Burroughs Patent No. 505,078 with irriprovements disclosed in one or more later patents such as Gooch 825,205, Gascon 1,395,991, Putnam 1,018,371 and my prior Patent No. 1,843,648. The printing mechanism includes a series of type carrying sectors 45 (Fig. which, during the forward stroke of each cycle of operation of the machine, are positioned in accordance with the amount set up on the usual keyboard (not shown) or the total or subtotal drawn from one of a number of registering mechanisms (not shown) which may, for example, be constructed and operated in the manner disclosed in Pasinski Patent No. 1,911,768. At the end of the forward stroke of the cycle the type 45 positioned along the printing line of the platen are driven toward the platen 41 by the usual printing hammers (not shown). The platen 41 is rotatably mounted in a paper carriage indicated generally by the reference number and mounted for movement transversely across the back of. the machine on a raceway 49.

The carriage 48 is moved from column to column in the tabulating direction by the usual spring enclosed in a'drum 5|) on which is'wound a tape 5| connected at its free end with the carriage. The tabulating movements of the carriage are controlled by'a tabulating mechanism which may be like that disclosed in Rinsche Patent No. 1,580,534 and portions of which will be described hereinafter. The carriage is returned in the opposite direction by a motor-driven carv riage return means generally like that disclosed in said Rinsche Patent No. 1,580,534 and driven by the motor 30 through drive contained in the housing 52. The carriage return means-includes a clutch which is also contained in the upper portion of the housing 52 and through which said drive connections may be coupled with a gear (Fig. 6) mesh ng with a rack 54 (Figs. 2 and 12) on the carriage.

The tabulating mechanism comprises a column stop shaft (Fig.2, 5, 9 and 12) rockably supported in the carriage but prevented from moving axially relative to the carriage. fA-suitable number of column stops 5| are mounted on the column stop shaft and may be adjustedto any desired positions along the length of said shaft 8|) and secured in such adjusted positions. The several column stops 6| are adapted to hold the carriage in the respective columnar positions by engagement with a tabulating abutment 62' (Figs.

9 and 12) mounted on the back plate of the machine for a short horizontal sliding movement. The tabulating abutment 62 is connected to one end of a link 64 which is spring-urged to the left as viewed from the rear of the machine and by which it is connected, as disclosed in my prior Patent No. 2,012,317, with an interlock device by which the cycle of machine operation is prevented from being initiated except when the carriage has come to rest in a proper columnar position with a column tab stop 6| engaging the tabulat-- ing abutment 62 and holding the latter to the right as viewed from the rear of the machine.

A .crank arm 70 (Fig; 2) secured on the left end of the column stop shaft lill, viewing the machine from the rear, carries a crank pin engaged in a slot in the lower end of a manually tabulating lever H which is pivoted on a stud 12 secured in the carriage frame and has on its upper end a finger grip portion 73 which the operator may pull forwardly to rock -the column stop shaft 6|) clockwise to raise the forward projections of the column stops 6| above the level of the tabulating abutment 62. The column stop shaft 60 is normally urged counterclockwise to the position of Fig. 2, where the forward projections on the column stops 6| are in horizontal alignment with a shoulder 63 on the tabulating abutment 62, by a tension sprin 74 connected at one end to a stud on the c .rriage frame and at its other end to a stud secured in the manually tabulatin lever below the pivot stud 12, the throw of the manually tabulating lever bein limited by a stud l5 fixed in the carriage frame and engaged in a slot in the lower portion of said manual tabulating lever During each cycle of operation of the machine a slide 16 vertically slidably mounted on the back plate 65 of the machine is moved downward in the forward stroke of the machine cycle to permit the upper end of a spring-urged tabulating pawl I7 pivotally mounted at its lower end on the lower end of the slide 15 to move under the forward projection of the column stop 6| currently engaged against the tabulating abutment 62. During the return stroke of the cycle the slide I6 is returned upwardly to normal position together with the tabulating pawl 11 which, during the initial portion of such upward movement, rocks the column stop BI and stop shaft to disengage the active column stop from the shoulder 63 of the tabulating abutment, and the carriage is thereby released for tabulating movement and the tabulating abutment permitted to be moved leftward, as viewed fromthe rear of the machine, by the spring-urged link 54. A short movement of the carriage in the tabulating direction removes the forward projection of the active column stop 6| from the upper end of the tabulating pawl 17, whereupon the column stop shaft 50 is returned counterclockwise to normal position by'the spring H to place the-next column stop |i| in position to engage the shoulder 63 on the tabulating abutment, asthe carriage movesto the next columnar position. As, the carriage approaches such next columnar position, the next column stop 6| engages against the side edge of the upper end of the tabulating pawl" '11 and rocks the same in the direction of thertabulating a riage until after column stops for the columns to be skipped have passed over the shoulder 63 of the tabulating abutment. This means includes a lever 80 (Figs. 1, 2, 5, 9 and 12) secured on the column stop shaft 60 and adapted to cooperate at its rear end with a latch arm 8! extending from one side arm of a skip tab control bail 82 pivoted on studs 83 supported in the carriage frame. The crw member of the ball 82 cooperates with a roller stud 85 on a skip tabulation control slide 86 which may be controlled as disclosed in Rinsche Patent No. 1,580,534.

The carriage 48 may be constructed as disclosed in my prior Patents Nos. 2,202,595 and 2,202,596 and the machine may be provided with means such as disclosed in said prior patents for automatically rocking the platen 41 out of printing position and opening the paper throat between the platen and the feed rolls 8'! to facilitate the insertion of papers around the platen at appropriate times.

Carriages of machines of the class to which the invention relates are generally of considerable weight but, nevertheless, must be moved rapidly from each columnar position to the next so as not to cause any unnecessary delays between successive machine cycles. Such machines are frequently conditioned for different functions when the carriage is in its different columnar positions automatically under the control of the carriage. The carriage, of course, must be positioned in the proper columnar position before each machine cycle is initiated, not merely to secure proper columnar alignment of the data printed by the machine, but also to insure the proper operation of the automatic function controldevices of the machine. speed with which it must be moved inorder to secure maximum work output from the machine creates a problem in properly cushioning the carriage so as to avoid-shock to the machine parts and unnecessary noise as the carriage is arrested in its several columnar positions. Heretofore, the link 64 connected to the tabulating abutment 62 has been connected with an air-cushion dashpot to decelerate the carriage as a column stop engages the tabulating abutment 62 and returns the latter toits normal position where it finally arrests the carriage.

In the prior machines the reciprocating stroke of the tabulating abutment G2 and also of the air-' cushion dashpot connected therewith through the link 64 has been substantially constant for each tabulating movement of the carriage, re-

gardless of the'len'gth of the tabulating movement and regardless of the speed to which the The weight of the carriage and the carriage'accelerated in such movement to any 7 of its'columnar positions." The air-cushion dashpot was normally'arranged' or adjusted to permit'the -cari'iage t'o"settle promptlyinto the correct' columnar "position-Without objectionable delay after engagement of a column stop'with the tabulating abutment in theshorter tabulatingv movements of the carriage, but failed to provide adequate cushioning or deceleration of the carriage in the final portions of the long tabulating or skip tabulating movements during which the a carriage tabulating movement in which the carriage reached a high velocity. Such rebounding of the carriage, if not prevented, would also cause delay between machine cycles.

As already mentioned, it was not desired to provide a governor to prevent the carriage, in its tabulating movement", from exceeding a predetermined maximum speed at which the air cushion dashpot would decelerate the carriage in the final portion of each tabulating movement suiiiciently to permit the final arrest of the carriage to be effected with the desired minimum of shock and noise, regardless of the length of the tabulating movement of the carriage. The limited speed of the carriage would cause undesirable delays between successive machines cycles and thus reduce the work output of the machine. Attempts to regulate the cushioning eflfect of constant stroke air-cushion dashpots in accordance with the lengths of the successive tabulating movements of the carriage, and thus in accordance with the velocities with which the carriage arrived in its successive columnar posi tions; have not been satisfactory because of the difficulties of obtaining accurate control of the variation of cushioning effect of the dashpot in that manner. Y

Carriage decelerating means I The prior constant stroke air-cushion dashpot is not used in the present-invention and, though.

in the specific forms of the invention herein'described and. illustrated the lateral sliding movement of the tabulating abutment isnot utilized forthe purpose of decelerating thecarriage in the final portions of its tabulating movements-the abutment 62-isstill mounted and arranged for a short lateral sliding-movement sufiloient for the purposeof operating' theusual interlock, (not A shown) which prevents initiation of a; machine cycle while, the carriage is not accuratelyposi tioned in a proper columnar position. Ir both forms of the; invention illustrated in the a cc ompanying drawings, the-cylinder 9ll ,(Figs'..l and 12),,of, anair-cushion dashpot is securedto one cit the end plates 9| of the carriage frame. The

piston rod 92 of the piston 93 working within the cylinder issecured at its outer end to a shaft.

94 through a coupling 95, permitting rotation of the shaft 94 relative to the piston rod 92.

supportedin the opposite end plate 9| of, the carriage frame.

(Fig-1); l:

i The pper end of cam the slide I00 downward against the tension of a spring 98 connected between a stud onp-said slide and a stud on the plate 99 when the carriage is moved in the return direction manually without pulling the lever 13 forwardlystolift, the

The other end of the shaft 94 is slidably and rotatably The shaft 94 carries a number. of stop members 96 essentially similar to the column stops :BI, said stops 96 being keyed to the shaft 94 against rotation relative thereto; The stops 96,may be adjusted to any desired positions i axially along :the shaft 134 and secured in such adjustedpositionsby means ofset screws 91,

projections of the stops 6| and 96 clear of the abutments 62 and I00. The stop 96 for each columnar position of the carriage is secured on the shaft 94 in such a position that, as the carriage moves in a tabulating direction toward the respective columnar position, the stop 96 will engage the abutment face of the slide I00, when the carriage reaches a point in its travel which is sufllciently ahead of the columnar position where it is to be arrested by the corresponding column stop 6| and tabulating abutment 62 to cause the stop 96, the shaft 94, the piston rod 92 and piston 93 to be arrested while the carriage and dashpot cylinder 90 continue through the final portion of the tabulating movement to thereby decelerate the carriage sufilciently in such final portion of the tabulating movement so that the ultimate arrest of the carriage by the column stop 6| and tabulating abutment 62 will be accomplished without undesirable shock and noise.

When the carriage is at rest in a columnar position with a column stop 6| engaged against the shoulder 63 on the tabulating abutment and the corresponding decelerator stop 96 engaged against the abutment face of the decelerator abutment slide I00, it is, of course, necessary, in order to tabulate or skip tabulate the carriage to a succeeding columnar position, to disengage the engaged decelerator stop 96 from the decelerator abutment I as well as to disengage the engaged column stop 6| from the shoulder 63 of the tabulating abutment. The manner of disengaging the engagedcolumn stop 6| from the tabulating abutment 62 to tabulate the car.- riage has previously been described and results in the clockwise rocking of the column stop shaft 60 as well as the clockwise rocking of the manual tabulating lever II, I3 in Fig. 2. The latter, in the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4, carries a. stud |0I by which it is pivotally. connected with the-forward end of a link I02 which is pivotally connected at its rear end to a plate I03. secured on a collar I04 which is axially slidably but non-rotatably secured on the shaft 94 and rotatably but axially non-slidably secured on a bearing sleeve I05 which is fixed in the carriage end plate 9| and provides a bearing for the shaft 94. A stud I06 passing through a slot in the plate I03 and secured in the carriage end plate 9| limits the throw of the rocking movement of .the plate I03 and decelerator stop shaft 94.

Through the connections above described, the decelerator stop shaft 94 is rocked counterclockwise to lift the rearward projection of the engaged decelerator stop 96 out of engagement with the decelerator abutment I00 as the column stop shaft 60 is rocked clockwise to. disengage the active column stop 6| from the shoulder of the tabulating abutment 62 to cause tabulation of the carriage. When the tabulating movement of the carriage disengages said column stop 6| from the tabulating pawl 11 and permits the column stop shaft 60 to be returned counterclockwise to normal by the spring I4, the latter spring acting through the lever II, 13, returns the link I 02, plate I03 and decelerator stop shaft 94 to normal with the tabulating abutment 62 until after the column stops 6| for the columns to be skipped have passed the shoulder of the tabulating abut-.

ment 62, the'decelerator stop shaft-94 will also thereby be held in its rocke'd position with the decelerator stops 96 out of alignmentwith the decelerator abutment I00 until after the decelerator stops 96 .for the columns to be skipped have passed over th decelerator abutment I00. Such control of the decelerator stops in skiptabulating movements of the carriage is adequate for all ordinary purposes where the length of, the

strokeof the air-cushion piston in decelerating the carriage at the endof any skip tabulating movement of the carriage into a given columnar position does not closely approach or exceed the spacing between the column stop 6| for such columnarposition and the immediately preceding column stop 6|. The problem which arises under such special circumstances and the solution thereof will be discussed later in connection with the modified embodiment of the invention here inaiter described.

The air cushion dashpot as used in the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1-4 is the same'as that shown in Figs. 12 and 14. The piston 93 is provided with a check valve comprising a fiat spring plate 0 secured to the compression face of the piston at one end by a stud I I I and yieldingly seating at its other endagainst the compression face of the piston around a passage 2 extending through the piston. The

1 piston 93 is normally urged to its fully retracted position to place the rearward projection ofthe succeeding decelerator stop 96 in alignment with the decelerator abutment I00.

It will be apparent that, if the skip-tabulating position by a compression spring I I4 inserted between a shoulder on the piston end of the piston rod 92 and, the opposed end wall of the cylinder which, for the purpose of holding the end of the spring properly positioned, may be formed with an annular boss I I5 through which the piston rod 92 passes. The dimensions and characteristics of the spring .I I4, the spring valve H0 and the passage II2 through the piston 93 could all be such as to permit of the return of the piston to its fully retracted position during the first part of each tabulating movement of the carriage after the previously engaged deceierator stop 96 has been disengaged from the abutment I00, so that the deceleration of the carriage in the final portionof each tabulating movement would be greater or smaller as the relative spacing of the corresponding decelerator stop 96 ahead of the corresponding column tabulatin'g stop 6| is greater or smaller. would serve to decelerate the carriage adequately in all regular tabulating movements. However, the most advantageous performance of many kinds of work requires the use of skip-tabulating movements of the carriage to avoid unnecessarily stopping-the carriage in columnar positions where it is not necessary to operate the machine or to print any entries. Where skip-tabulating movements of the carriage are involved, the carriage will arrive in a given columnar position sometimes after a short tabulating movement with a certain velocity or momentum and arrive in the same columnar position at other times after a longer skip-tabulating movement with a greater velocity or momentum. The present invention provides for automatically varying the effect of the carriage decelerating means automatically, proportionately to the different velocities with which the carriage may, at different times, arrive in any given columnar position. For this purpose, the dimensions and characteristics of the spring H4 and the check valve IIO are made such Such an arrangement.

. such operation of the carriage decelerating dashpot is illustrated in Fig. 4. However, before a full explanation of the movements of the decelerating stops illustrated inFig. 4 is attempted, a further feature of the invention should be considered.

The carriage decelerating dashpot also serves studs 83.

entries and the beginning of the next line of entries. For this purpose, the rack 54 carries a depending stud or block I30 (Fig. l) which, during the movement of the rack 54 relative to the carriage at the beginning of the operation of the carriage return means, engages a stud I3I carried on one arm of a bell crank I32 pivoted on a stud I33 secured in the carriage frame. The other arm of the bell crank I32 has pivotally connected thereto a depending hook I34 which engages a stud I35 on a lever I36 pivoted on one of the The line spacing pawl I40 is pivoted on the upper rear end of the lever I36 and connected at its rear end to one end of a spring MI for smoothly accelerating the carriage at the beginning of its return movement when the carriage-return clutch is engaged. As previously mentioned, the driven member of the carriage return clutch is geared to the rack 54 mounted on the ca riage. Secured on the right-hand and left-hand portions of the carriage frame (Fig.

12) are a pair of brackets I I6 with portions which extend parallel to the direction of the carriage travel and formed with slots which receive headed studs H8 which are secured in brackets II9 fixed on the rack 54, whereby the rack 54 is permitted a substantial lengthwise movement relative to the carriage, though it is normally held at the right-hand limit of such movement, as viewed from the back of the machine, by a tension spring I connected between one bracket H6 and a stud I2I on the rack 54. At its lefthand end, as viewed from the rear of the macircuit open, but the motor circuit is immediately Vreclosed as the carriage return clutch is engaged.

If the rack 54 were rigidly secured to the paper carriage, the return movement of the paper carriage would be started abruptly with considerable shock to the carriage and the carriage return drive connections, even though a constantly engaged friction coupling is inserted in the carriage return drive connections as disclosed in Rinsche Patent No. 1,580,534. However, when the carriage return clutch is engaged, the rack is first moved to the left, as viewed from the back of the machine, relative to the carriage for a substantial distance. During this movement of the rack relative to the carriage, the rear end of the arm I25 acts on the stud I26 to move the stop rod 94 and piston 93 to the left, as viewed from the back of the machine, relative to the carriage. The spring I I4 and the difierence in air pressures created on opposite sides of the piston 93 in the dashpot 90 by such movement of the stop rod 94 and piston relative to the carriage bring about a smooth acceleration of the carriage whereby the carriage return movement is initiated without undesirable shock to the carriage and the carriage return drive connections.

In the. illustrated machine as in Rinsche Patent No. 1,580,534, the movement of the rack 54 relative to the carriage and against the tension of the spring I20 at the commencement of the carriage return movement is utilized for operating the line spacing mechanism to rotate the platen 41 so as to line space the work sheet thereon between the completion of one line of which is connected at its other end to a stud secured on the lever I36 and urges the line spacing pawl I40 clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 1, to engage its forward end with the line spacing ratchet wheel I42 which is secured on the platen shaft I43. Through the parts above described, the movement of the rack 54 against the tension of the spring I20 and relative to the carriage at the start of the carriage return operates the line spacing mechanism to line space the platen.

The lower forward end of the lever I36 has a lug I45 engaging in front of the forward edge of the lower arm ll of the manual carriage tabulating lever whereby the movement of the rack 54 relative to the carriage at the start of the carriage return also rocks the column stop shaft 60 as well as the decelerator stop shaft 94 to lift the projections of the column stops GI and decelerator stops 96 above the tabulating and decelerating abutment members 62 and I00 prior to and during the return of the carriage.

After the carriage return clutch is disconnected at the end of the carriage return movement, the spring 14, acting through the lever II, I3, returns the stop shafts 60 and 94 and the line spacing mechanism to normal.

It will be appreciated that the length of the movement of the rack 54 relative to the carriage upon the engagement of the carriage return clutch is desirably constant and suflicient to effect the desired line spacing of the platen and lifting ofthe projections of the stops 6I and 94 above the abutments 62 and I00. This movement may be longer than the stroke of the dashpot piston 93 required for smoothly accelerating the carriage without shock at the start of the carriage return movement. The length of stroke of the piston 93 to be utilized for that purpose can be adjusted to suit requirements by adjustment of the stud I26 and collar I21 along the decelerating stop shaft 94 so that it will be engaged by the end of the arm I25 at the desired point in the movement of the rack 54 relative to the carriage.

Fig. 4 schematically illustrates the movements of the decelerator stops 96 relative to the column stops 6| in a construction in which the tabulating abutment 62 and the decelerator abutment I00 are aligned with each'other in a vertical plane parallel to the sides of the machine and so aligned with the printing mechanism that, with the carriage at rest in any given columnar position, the

accuses secured on the decelerator stop shaft 94 and which they occupy relative to the column stops 6! with the piston 93 and stop shaft 94 in their fully retracted positions. On the same horizontal line, the position which each individual decelerator stop 96 occupies when the carriage has come to rest in the respective columnar position is indicated in dotted lines.

In the last three rows, 1, II and III, across the form, the position of the decelerator stop 96 for each column relative to the carriage and the work sheet therein at the instant the decelerator stop 98 for such column engages the decelerator abutment Hi9 during the tabulating movement of the carriage into the respective column is indicated in dotted lines for three different series of tabulating movements of the carriage across the machine as required for three different transactions or lines of postings to be recorded on the work sheet. By comparing the positions of the decelerator stops 95 shown in line I with the fullline positions of said stops 96 illustrated immediately above line I, it will be seen that the decelerator piston 93 does not restore to its fullyretracted position during the short movement of the carriage in the tabulating direction into the column I position following the release of the carriage return clutch. However, the position of the decelerator stop 96 for column 1 on the shaft 94 is such that the decelerator stop 96 engages the abutment I during the movement of the carriage toward the column I position at a point when the carriage is still sufficiently ahead of its column i position to produce a short compression stroke of the piston 93. Such a short stroke of the piston 93 will have little or no decelerating effect on the carriage but little or no deceleration is required after such a short movement of the carriage in the tabulating direction into its column I position. However, the piston 93 is thereby pre vented from restoring to its fully retracted position, which is desirable for permitting of a maximum range of automatic variation of the decelerating efiect insubsequent columnar positions.

The first transaction or line of postings requires, as shown in line I, that the carriage be stopped for printing in each columnar position. The movement of the carriage from the column i position to the column 2 position is longer than the short movement in the tabulating direction into column I and the carriage is accelerated to a greater velocity and requires some deceleration in the final portion of such movement. However, the decelerator piston 93 will be retracted somewhat by the spring I H during this tabulating movement. Therefore, the decelerator stop 99 for column 2 will be secured on the stop shaft 94 in a position spaced from the decelerator stop 96 for column 1 by a distance equal to the sum of the distance between the column stops 8! for columns I and 2 and the distance through which the piston 93 and shaft 94 restore during the tabulation of the carriage from column I to column 2, minus the length of the stroke of the decelerator piston 93 required for decelerating the carriage in column 2.

The spacings of the deoelerator stops 9% for the succeeding columnar positions of the carriage are similarly determined from the spacings of the corresponding column stops 6!, the distances through which the piston 93 and stop shaft 94 will be retracted during tabulation of the paper carriage from each columnar position to the next, and the lengths of the compression strokes of the piston 93 required for the desired amount of deceleration of the carriage during the final portion of each of such tabulating movements.

The amount of deceleration required to be effected by the decelerator dashpot at the end of each tabulating movement will not be uniformly proportional to the lengths of the several tabulating movements of the paper carriage of machines which have various function control devices conditioned, as in the Burroughs high keyboard machines, by the carriage as the carriage enters its successive columnar positions. The actuation of such iunction control devices by the carriage during the final portions of its movements into certain columnar positions takes more or less energy from the moving carriage and so aids in decelerating the carriage to a greater or lesser extent during the final portions of its tabulating movements into successive columnar positions, depending upon the number and nature of the functions oi the various function control devices which are thus conditioned by the carriage in each columnar position. In some columnar positions of the carriage, as in the column d position in the example illustrated in Fig. 4, none of the function control devices of the machine, excepting possibly only an easily conditioned register selecting means, such as disclosed in Pasinski Patent No. 1,911,768, need be actuated or conditioned by the carriage as the carriage enters such acolumnar position, so that all, or substantially all, of the deceleration of the carriage required before the corresponding col umn stop 6i is arrested by the tabulating abutment 62 must be effected by the decelerating dashpot. In other columnar positions, as in columns 2 and 3 in Fig. 4, the carriage must condition certain function control devices such as a subtraction control means as well as the register selecting means, which, together, take a medium amount of energy from the carriage, whereas, in still other columnar positions, the carriage must condition, in addition to the register selecting means, other function control devices, such as an automatic total-taking control mechanism, the conditioning of which may take a considerable amount of energy from the carriage. In each column the decelerating stop 96 will be so positioned as to cause the dashpot to efiect so much of the deceleration of the carriage as would otherwise cause undesirable shoclt and noise at the final arrest of the carriage in such columnar position.

It is believed that, from the foregoing, the operation of the carriage decelerating means during a program of carriage movements in which, as in line i of Fig. i, the carriage will be arrested by each of its column stops 6! in all of the respective columnar positions of the carriage, will be entirely clear. The position of the decelerator piston 93 and stop shaft 95 as the carriage comes to rest in each of its successive columnar positions may vary from column to column. 'It will be apparent that, with suitable proportioning of the spring lit, the check valve H0, and the passage H2 in the piston 93 and with suitable adjustments of set screws such as M? (Fig. 12) controlling vents 543 and M9 at opposite ends of the dashpot cylinder at, in combination with appropriate positioning of the several decelerator steps along the shaft 94, the piston 93 could be brought near to the end of its maximum compression stroke at the close of each carriage decelerating operation and the length of the decelerating stroke of the piston at the end of the next-tabulating movement of the carriage would then be determined by the length of the restoring movement of the piston 93 during such tabulation and, therefore, by the length of such tabulating movement and, because of the substantially continuous acceleration of the carriage during the tabulating movement, thus, also, in accord with the velocity of the carriage when the next decelerator stop 96 comes into engagement with the decelerator abutment I90, except as the amount of carriage deceleration requiredto be effected by the decelerator dashpot would be varied by the decelerating effect on the carriage of the function control devices to be conditioned by the carriage in the different columnar positions. However, the characteristics of the spring H4, and of the piston check valve H9, and the adjustments of the vent-controlling set screws I41 and of the cushion stops may also be such that, as in the case of the example illustrated in Fig. 4, the piston 93 at the end of its decelerating stroke for one or more of the carriage positions may be nearer to the end of its return or retraction stroke than to the end of its maximum compression stroke.

In case the nature of the work to be performed I in such given columnar position, the piston 93 and decelerator stop shaft 94 will be rather near the end of the full compression stroke of the piston and also in a similar position when the carriage is arrested in that one of the Preceding columnar positions from which the longest skip-tabulating movement to the first-mentioned columnar position is to be made and/or progressively moved closer to such a position as and when the carriage is arrested in the intermediate columnar positions. Thus, the length of the decelerating stroke of the piston 92 and its decelerating effect on the carriage as the latter t'abulates or skip-tabulates to a given columnar position will depend upon the length of the carriage movement and will, consequently, be appropriate to the velocity and momentum of the carriage as it arrives in such columnar position, as is illustrated in linesI, II and III of Fig. 4. r

In line I of Fig. 4, the carriage enters its column 4 position by a normal tabulation from the column 3 position, and as this tabulating movement of the carriage is short, the length of the decelerating stroke of the piston 93 will provide only the relatively small amount of carriage deceleration required to cushion the arrest of the carriage at the end of such a short tabulation in which the carriage attains but little velocity and momentum. In the making of a subsequent line of entries, the skip tabulating control may be conditioned to cause the carriage to skip tabulate from its column 2 position to its column 4 position asin line II of Fig. 4, whereby the carriage enters its column 4 position by a longer skiptabuiating movement and with higher velocity and momentum. The decelerator stop 96 for the column 4 position will engage the abutment I00 when the tabulating stop M for the column 4 position in line II, and th final arrest of the carriage will be effected also without objectionable noise and shock. In line III, a longer skip-tabulation of the carriage from its column I position to its column 4 position is indicated. The decelerating stroke of the piston 93 during the final portion of its longer skip tabulating movement will be still greater and provide a greater decelerating effect than in the skip-tabulation of the carriage from column 2 to column 4 in line II, so that, as the carriage arrives in its column 4 position from its column I position in line III, the final arrest of the carriage will also be eifected without undesirable noise and shock.

From the foregoing it will be apparent how the decelerating means of the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 can be adjusted for a wide variety of programs of carriage tabulation and skip tabulation so as to eliminate undesirable noise and shock in the arrest of the carriage in each of its columnar positions after tabulating and skip-tabulating movements of varying lengths in which the carriage will acquire velocity and momentum which may vary over a wide range.

To eliminate any tendency of the dashpot to cause rebound of the carriage when the dashpot is rapidly compressed and a high air pressure is rapidly built up at the end of any carriage movement in which the carriage attains a high momentum, the piston rod '92 is formed with a groove I59 (Fig. 12) which is of such dimensions and so positioned on the rod 92' that when the piston is moved to substantially the end of its compression stroke, said groove releases such air pressure from the compression side of the piston to the atmosphere.

Modified embodiment To take care of certain complications which may arise in special cases, there has been provided a modified embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in Figs. 5 to 17, where structural parts present also in the first described embodiment of Figs. 1-4 are designated by the same referencenumerals as applied to them in Figs. 1-4, except that the reference numerals for some of said members which have been significantly modified for use in the modified embodiment of the invention have an 3: added to them. Some work forms cause special difficulties. For

example, a form may have a very narrow column cause of the high velocity and momentum of the carriage as it arrives in such columnar position, avery large or perhaps the maximum decelerat mg stroke of the dashpot piston is required to permit the final arrest of the carriage to be effected without objectionable noise or shock. Thus, it may be necessary to position the decelerating stop for such narrow column ahead of the column stop for that column by a distance which exceeds the spacing between said column stop for said column and the column stop for the preceding column. The decelerator stop must, therefore, be permitted to engage the decelerator abutment before the column stop for the preceding column has passed the stop shoulder on the tabulating abutment. It will be seen that, under such circumstances, there would be difliculties in securing the desired result with the previously described embodiment of the invention.

Some machines are adapted to perform a plurality of varieties of work and to produce the records of such varieties or work on a like plurality of forms or sets of forms having different columnar arrangements suited to the natures of the entries to be recorded in performing the different kinds of work. Such machines are provided with column stops for all of the columnar positions in which the carriage is to be arrested for all of the difierent work forms or sets of forms, and such machines have been provided with means for readily setting the controls from time to time for different programs of carriage movements corresponding to the rulings on the diilerent forms or'sets of forms to be used at different times. Consequently, for one of the forms the carriage may be arrested in a columnar position after a long movement in which the carriage attains relatively high velocity and momentum, and the column stop for such columnar position may follow a column stop for a column on another one of the work forms at a distance smaller than the length of the decelerating stroke of the dashpot piston required for adequately decelerating the carriage at the end of such a long movement. With regard to obtaining satisfactory operation of the decelerating means, these circumstances present the same difllculty as in the case of the previously mentioned form having a narrow column, and in which case the carriage would arrive at the corresponding columnar position only after a relatively long move rnent. It is to be noted, however, that this difllculty will not aiways arise from the columnar arrangement on a single form, but may arise because of columnar arrangements on a plurality of forms which are to be used at different times .in a machine having means for selecting dlflere ent programs of carriage movements suited to the different forms.

The second :torm of the invention has been illustrated as :applied to "the Burroughs "high keyboard machine provided with :means of the kind disclosed in the copendlng application of Arthur J. Fettig, Serial No. 233,280, filed October 4, 1938, for providing an extremely flexibly and easily variable control of carriage tabulating, .skip-tabulating and return movements, and comprising aiso means for readily changing over from each one to any other of a plurality of programs of such carriage movements. In such a machine, the ordinary tabulating movements of the carnage may sometimes 'be controlled in the usual manner, as already mentioned in connection with the description of the first form of the invention, but may also be controlled by the same variably settable means which controls the skip-tabulating movements of the carriage in such machine. In fact, it should be borne in mind that carriage movements which, by refin connection with which such carriage movements are used may, in fact, be skip-tabulating movements because of the presence of column tabulating stops which are required for other forms to be used in the machine but are not Permitted to arrest the carriage when the mechanism is set for the program of carriage move- -ments required by the first-mentioned form.

Such movements must, of course, be controlled by the variably settable skip-tabulating control means of said Fettig machine. Such machine, as shown in Fig. 5, has the usual skip-tabulating control bail 82 mounted on the carriage with the arm 8| cooperating with the lever 80 to control the restoration of the column stop shaft 60 to permit arrest of the carriage by column stops 6| in the desired columnar positions. Said skiptabulation control bail 82 is also in turn controlled by a. roller stud 85 on the upper end of a slide 560 (Fig. 6). The slide I60 is vertically slidably guided on a pair of studs I6I secured in a supporting and mounting plate I62 which is secured to a portion of the housing 52 of the carriage return drive means. The slide I60 has. near its lower end, a stud I63 (Figs. 6 and 9) which passes through vertically elongated slots in each of a series of settable slides I65 (Fig. 9) guided for vertically sliding movement on the studs 'ISI. When the slide ISO is in its normal elevated position where it holds the bail 82 elevated and the arm 8| out of contact with the lever 30, the stud I63 is positioned in the upper ends of the slots in the lower portions of the settable slides I65 so that, 'upon depression of any one of the slides I65, the depressed slide I65 will, through the stud I63, depress the slide I60 and roller 85 to permit the bail 82 to be moved by its spring to position the end of the arm 3| over the end of thelever 80 when the rear end of the latter is depressed by the rocking of the column stop shaft 60 to release the carriage for movement to a subsequent columnar position. Each settable slide I65 is urged upward by an individual spring I66 and for each settable slide l65 there is a latch member I61 which is pivoted on a stud I68 supported in the plate I62 and is urged by an individual spring 559 to position its lower latch arm above a shoulder I10 formed on the edge of the slide I65, whereby any settable slide, when set to its lower position, is latched in such set lower position and thus holds the slide I60 and roller I35 in .the

lower or skip-tabulating position until, during the ensuing movement of the'carriage, the latch member I61 for the set and latched slide I65 is tripped by that one of a series of skip release discs I12, secured on a shaft I13 supported in the carriage frame, which is so formed as to cooperate with and release that particular latch I61 at the proper point in the movement of the carriage to permit the restoration of the set slide I65, the slide I60 and roller 85, the ball.

82 and arms BI and 80 to release the column stopshaft 60 for restoration in time 'to permit the desired column stop 6I to engage the tabulating abutment 62 to arrest the carriage in the desired columnar position.

The selection of the slide I65 to be set for each skip-tabulating movement of the carriage is controllable by control rolls I15 (Fig. 6) mounted on the paper carriage and is effected by means actuated by the machine during cycles of operation of said machine. The skip tabulating control rolls I15 mounted on the carriage erence to merely the one form or set of forms a indiflerent positions lengthwise oi the carriage corresponding to different columnar positions where skip-tabulating movements are to be initiated, cooperate with a control cam lever I16 forming one arm of a yoke I11 which is pivotally mounted on a shaft I18 fixed in an arm I 18a fixed on the plate I62. The other arm I19 of the yoke I11 is connected through a link I80 to one arm of a bell crank I8I pivoted on the plate I 62 and having its other arm slotted to engage a stud on a slide I82 guided for vertical movement on studs carried by .the plate I62. The lower end of the slide I82 carries a stud I83 cooperating with one branch of a differential lever I84 pivoted intermediate its ends on the upper end of a rack I65 which, at its lower end, meshes with a pinion I86 secured to a stepped sector I81 rockably supported on a stud I88 secured in the plate I62. A spring I89 connected to an arm extending from the sector I81 urges the latter counterclockwise in Fig. 6. One arm of a bell crank I90, which is pivoted on a stud I9I carried on an arm fixed on studs I92 secured in the plate I62, carries a stud I93 adapted to cooperate with the stepped edge of the sector I81 and has its other arm connected through a stud and slot connection with a slide I94 guided for horizontal movement on thevstuds I92. The right end of the edge of the slide I94, as viewed from the front of the machine, engages a stud I95 on a lever I96 which is pivoted at I91 on a slide I98 which is guided for vertical movement on studs I99 secured in the plate I62. The lever I96'is yieldingly urged counterclockwise, as viewed in Fig. 6, by a spring 200 connected betw'een a stud on the lower end of said lever and a stud 20I which is securedin the slide I98 and is engage-'- able by a projection on the lever I96 to limit the counterclockwise movement of the latter.

The slide I96 is. normally yieldingly held, by springs 202 (Fig. 7) connected between studs 203 on said slide and studs 204 on the plate I62,-

in its uppermost position where a rearwardly bent lug 205 on the lever I96 is positioned above the level of lateral lugs 206 formed on downward projections on the settable slides I65, so that the liever I96 may be rocked freely to position the lateral lug 205 at its upper end over the lateral lug 208 of any selected one of the slides I65.

A bell crank 2I0 (Fig. 6) pivoted on the stud I88 has a cam end 2 bent into position to cooperate with the stud I93 on the bell crank I90 and has on the end of its other arm a stud 2I2 engaging in a slot in the upper end of a vertical link 2I3 (Fig. 7) and connected to one end of a spring 2I4, the other end of which is connected to a stud on said link 2 I3 by which, as will here inafter be described, it is normally held with the cam end 2 of its upper arm in position to hold the stud I93 above and out of contact with the stepped edge of the sector I81, whereby the lever I96 is also held, through the bell crank I90 and slide ,I94, in a position where the lug 205 on its upper end is to the right of and out of register with the last lug 206 at the right end of the series of lugs 206..

When the paper carriage moves into a columnar position where a skip-tabulating operation is to be initiated, a skip control roll I of a selected size mounted on the paper carriage engages the cam lever I16 and rocks the yoke I11 clockwise in Fig. 6, and, through the previousli described connections, also rocks the stepped sector I81 clockwise against the tension or its spring I89 to a position determined by the size of the roll I15. This places a selected step on the selector beneath the stud I98 so that, during the forward stroke of the subsequent cycle of operation of the machine; when the bell crank 2I0 is rocked counterclockwise by the raising of the link 2 I3 as will be described further below, the spring 200 is permitted to rock the lever I96 counterclockwise, move the slide I94 to the left and rock the bell crank I90 counterclockwise until the stud I98 engages the selected step of the sector I81, which stops the lever I96 with the lateral lug 205 on its upper end above a lug 206 on the corresponding one of the settable slides I66. Later, at the beginning of the return stroke of the machine cycle, the slide I98 is lowered, pulling the lever I66 downwardly whereby the selected settable slide I65 is lowered and latched in set position by the corresponding latch I61. As already described, this frees the ball 82 and arm 8I so that, when the column stop shaft 60 is rocked to release the carriage for movement, the shaft 60 and column stops 8| will be held in rocked position until the carriage has moved to the desired point in itstravelwhere a skip release disc I12 releases the latched slide I 65 and permits the column stops 8| to return to eflective position in time for the column stop 6| for the desired column to arrest the carriage.

The shaft I13 carrying the skip release discs I12 may be rotated by a hand lever 2 I5 (Fig. 16)

pivotally mounted on a bracket 2I6 secured to the carriage and connected, through a link M1, to a slide 2 I8 guided for horizontal movement on the carriage and having an arm 2I9 carrying a stud 220 engaging in a helical groove in a cylinder 22I secured on the shaft I13. Also, the skip control members, instead of being formed as rolls I16, may be formed as members 222 having spaced lobes 223 of various lengths and connected to pinions 224 rotatable therewith on the control roll shafts 225 supported on the carriage. The pinions 224 mesh with a rack 226 having a slot in which is engaged a lateral projection 221 from the slide 2I8 whereby movement of the lever 2I5 will both change the selection, by the control members 222, of the settable skip control slides which are to be set in the several columnar positions of the carriage, and vary the order of release of the set and latched slides I by the release discs I12 at diflerent points in the carriage travel whereby the control mechanism briefly described above may be set ior a plurality of programs of carriage movements corresponding to a plurality of different work forms or sets of work forms and may be readily conditioned by the operator for any of such preset programs at any time. I

A disclosure of further details of the mechanism controlling the program or programs of I carriage movements will be found in the above-. mentioned Fettig application, Serial No. 233,280. 

